I just saw that geek chic, makers of beautiful gaming furniture, went out of business. I figured I would own one if their tables one day, but not to be. I will genuinely miss them in the dealers hall, it was my favorite visit. Best wishes, folks, I hope your next thing is as interesting.

I cannot remember another time a vendor has gone out of business in the period between buying a booth and the convention going down (not, of course, that it has likely not happened, but doubtfully in such a dramatic fashion). Knowing how much interia and momentum is involved in convention planning, I wonder if it is somehow too late for them to replace the space, and it will just end up being empty?

 quarex wrote:Knowing how much interia and momentum is involved in convention planning, I wonder if it is somehow too late for them to replace the space, and it will just end up being empty?

No chance. The booths are in high demand, and I'm sure they have a waiting list.____________________________________________________
Alec Usticke, Unofficial Gen Con Indy Facebook Discussion Group

I tend to agree however, whether or not one or more exhibitors who were not expecting to attend could throw together a Gen Con booth on such short notice may be in question.

Most shows demand that vendors maintain a full booth/inventory (or at least the appearance thereof) so not everyone may have enough inventory to make it the full four days.

IF they can't get new exhibitors to fill the space, I have a suggestion to generate good will in the community: give some random exhibitors in Entrepreneur's Alley a free upgrade to premium floor space.

 garhkal wrote:I hope no one here is in limbo waiting for word on if/when their product they already paid for will arrive or if they will get a refund..

Many people are. Hopefully their credit card companies come through with a chargeback because I doubt Geek Chic would have gone out of the business if they had any money.____________________________________________________
Alec Usticke, Unofficial Gen Con Indy Facebook Discussion Group

They basically had nothing left. $300 in cash. Millions owed in debt. And this is Chapter 7, so there's no coming back. It sounds like they had very little finished inventory, but even if they do, it will be liquidated.

If you had a deposit in, your credit card company is your only hope. I can't believe there will be anything left once the major debtors are paid, and they're certainly not going to be made whole.

Are there people who were on the waiting list for Geek Chic that are still looking for a new table? I'm working on building one for my family with the intention of selling them as well. Coming to GenCon this year to see what people are looking for in a table and show the prototype progress as well as some renderings of the finished product.

As a tangent: Rathskellers is Germany based (and BTW, don't be thrown off by it's name echoing a restaurant - The Rathskeller - in Indianapolis. The last one in that list is indeed a gaming table manufacturer). I don't actually know what that distance means as far as shipping to the US, but it certainly can't help any! It'd obviously be a good option for European gamers, though.